Saraya al-Jawad
| Rijal al-Nour, Saraya al-Jawad | |
|---|---|
| رجال النور، سرايا الجواد | |
| Also known as | Rijal al-Nour |
| Leader | Bashar Abdullah Abu Ruqayya † (2025—2026) |
| Foundation | 1 August 2025 |
| Dates of operation | 1 August 2025 – present |
| Country | .svg/40px-Flag_of_Syria_(2025-).svg.png){kind=small} Syria |
| Allegiance | %2C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980–2024).svg/40px-Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Republic_(1958–1971)%2C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980–2024).svg.png){kind=small} Ba'athist Syria |
| Headquarters | Jableh |
| Active regions | Latakia Governorate |
| Ideology | Assadism, Neo-Ba'athism |
| Allies |  Syrian Popular Resistance Military Council for the Liberation of Syria Coastal Shield Brigade |
| Opponents | Syrian transitional government |
| Wars | |
Rijal al-Nour, Saraya al-Jawad (Arabic: رجال النور، سرايا الجواد, lit. 'Men of Light, Al-Jawad Company') is a Syrian Assadist militant organization formed in 1 August 2025.
History
[edit]It was founded on 1 August 2025, in a statement commemorating Bashar al-Assad's "Syrian Arab Army Day".[1]
The group released a video on 1 September that shows the group carrying out an IED attack on the Jableh against a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Defense on 15 August 2025,[1] where 5 militants participated in addition to declaring retaliation for the arrest of Sheikh Saleh al-Mansour.[2]
The group claimed another IED attack on a Syrian government vehicle on 4 September, which the group claimed to have carried out in revenge for the assassination of Bashar Mihoub in Tartus, the video only shows an explosion, not the target or the location.[3][4][5]
They pledged to launch intensive military operations against Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and what it called "foreign mercenaries backed by Qatar and Turkey", describing it as "revenge for the souls of the martyrs". It is considered a possible extension of a previous faction called the Coastal Shield Brigade.[6]
On 29 September, Saraya al-Jawad detonated a roadside IED on a likely government position near Besayasin, Latakia Province and two other IEDs the next day. None of Saraya al-Jawad's IED attacks caused casualties. The group said that it conducted the attack in revenge for the killing of four Alawite construction workers in Jardin, Hama Province on 28 September.[7]
On 24 December, the Syrian forces dismantled their headquarters in Jableh; commander Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad stated that the group was planning attacks for the New Year.[8]
On 24 February, the Syrian government forces carried out a security operation with commander Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad stating it was carried out after several days of close surveillance and targeted two points in the Beit Alouni and Basniya areas. The leader of Saraya al-Jawad, Bashar Abdullah Abu Ruqayya, died in the operation.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Solomon, Christopher (11 September 2025). "Iran Update, September 10, 2025". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ ""رجال النور" فصيل سوري يعيد النفخ في نار الفتنة في الساحل". اندبندنت عربية (in Arabic). 12 September 2025. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ ""سرايا الجواد".. جماعة تشن هجمات ضد الحكومة في الساحل". عنب بلدي (in Arabic). 6 September 2025. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ ""سرايا الجواد".. فصيل جديد يتبنى هجمات في الساحل السوري". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ نيوز, إرم. ""ثأراً للدماء".. "سرايا الجواد" تفتح جبهة جديدة بالساحل السوري (فيديو إرم)". إرم نيوز (in Arabic). Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "فيديو جديد لجماعة سرايا الجواد تهدد أحمد الشرع والمجاهدين الأجانب في سوريا". elmanshar.com (in Arabic). 13 September 2025. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ Glynn, Jordan (30 September 2025). "Iran Update, September 30, 2025". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
- ^ "Syrian forces dismantle outlaw cell in Lattakia". SANA. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "سورية: مقتل عنصر أمن و3 من "سرايا الجواد" بعملية أمنية بريف اللاذقية". 24 February 2026. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ^ "مقتل عنصر أمن سوري وقادة بمليشيا في اشتباكات بريف اللاذقية". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 February 2026.